The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 86

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 86. A Bandit’s Work.

The following evening.

– Master Forma, we have successfully obtained the highest-grade mana stones.

Forma, the master of Gearnek Tower, received the contact from Lucas he had been awaiting and left the tower.
For some reason, Lucas’s tone seemed more deferential than before, but Forma paid it little mind.
Perhaps Lucas had only now realized that following him meant constantly losing bits and pieces of his dignity.

‘Well, it’s a good thing regardless.’

The work of crafting the mana sword in secret had been progressing smoothly until now.
But then I hit an unexpected wall.

‘We’ve already consumed half of the highest-grade mana stones our tower possessed.’

With mana stones of lower grades, the mana sword would shatter under the user’s magical power.
That was why I needed the highest-grade stones, but they were in short supply not just in Gearnek Tower, but throughout the entire Empire.

‘Decades of reckless magical advancement meant the mining output of mana stones could no longer keep pace with consumption.’

Then, unexpectedly, I discovered a group in the Theocracy distributing highest-grade mana stones.
At first, I had no intention of taking theirs. I simply wanted to conduct a normal transaction.

‘But they flatly refused, saying they supplied highest-grade mana stones only to the Arcana Workshop.’

So Gearnek Tower, along with other workshops and towers, had no choice but to turn away empty-handed.

‘Of all places, it had to be the Arcana Workshop….’

I ground my teeth in frustration.
The Arcana Workshop was a place I had been monitoring in the same field of magical tool crafting.
Though not in the same city, its growth was so rapid that it seemed it could threaten Gearnek Tower at any moment.

‘Just a workshop, and yet….’

If all the highest-grade mana stones coming from the Theocracy were to flow into the Arcana Workshop, not only would they establish a Magic Tower, but the gap would narrow in no time.
That’s why I devised a plan to intercept the highest-grade mana stones destined for them en route.
There would be escorts, but Forma had talented individuals under his command.
They were “Gear”—operatives who had worked in the shadows since the early days of Gearnek Tower.

‘In fact, both last time and this time, I pulled it off flawlessly.’

But for now, I would lay low for a while.
Since I’d succeeded twice, those distributing the highest-grade mana stones would surely sharpen their teeth and come prepared.

‘According to my informant, the eldest son of the Luminara Family is supposedly that strong. Next time, he might be the one who comes.’

Honestly, even so, he’s just a Heresy Inquisitor from the Theocracy. If push came to shove, I could simply send all of Gear to handle him.
He’s not a Holy Knight, and how strong could a Heresy Inquisitor possibly be? I could handle him alone.

‘He hasn’t arrived yet.’

Forma, who had arrived at the City Wall, surveyed his surroundings.
This wasn’t the Holy Capital, so security wasn’t particularly strict. It was also why Forma had established his Magic Tower in this city.

“Tower Master.”

At that moment, a figure completely concealed in a mask and robes emerged from a small opening in the City Wall.

“Ah, Lucas. You came.”
“Yes.”
“But you’re alone? Where are the others?”

Lucas was supposed to bring the mercenaries he’d been colluding with as well.
I expected many to follow, but neither the mercenaries nor his companions appeared.
Lucas lowered his head silently.

“…I see.”

Forma grasped the meaning immediately.

“The highest-grade mana stones?”
“Since I couldn’t transport them alone, I’ve hidden them in a secure location for now. This is only a small portion of them.”

Lucas handed over a pouch he’d retrieved from his belongings. When Forma opened it, a brilliantly luminous blue stone lay within.

“Excellent. This is definitely a supreme-grade mana stone. Well done.”
“Yes.”
“But were the guards strong? You’re not the type to suffer losses so easily.”

Those who departed with Lucas were among the strongest talents within Gear.
Kardian had even taken a magic sword with her, yet they’d suffered entirely unexpected casualties.

“It seems they came prepared as well. One of them was exceptionally formidable.”
“Did you kill him?”
“Yes. However, in the process, everyone except me perished, and the magic sword was destroyed.”
“Hmm, that’s acceptable. It’s a shame about the magic sword, but acquiring so many supreme-grade mana stones is a greater gain overall.”

Forma only lamented the destroyed magic sword, giving no thought to the lives of the others.

“Is that black sword at your waist his?”
“Yes. That bastard dared to lay hands on Kardian….”

Lucas ground his teeth audibly.
Kardian had never originally belonged to Gear; she was a woman Lucas had brought along at some point.
According to Lucas, he’d spared Kardian when she attempted to ambush him.
They’d remained inseparable ever since, though they didn’t appear to be lovers in the conventional sense.
It was somewhere between affection and love—a tangled mixture of both.
But now it seemed to have been closer to love.

“So what do you intend to do? You’re not thinking of leaving Gear over Kardian’s death, are you?”
“Of course not. I have no intention of throwing away my life for something so trivial. There are plenty of other women besides her.”
“Haha! You’re more pragmatic than I expected. I’ve grown quite fond of you.”
“The feeling is mutual, Tower Master.”

At that, Forma tilted his head curiously.

“I’ve been bothered by this since earlier—why do you keep calling me Tower Master? You always used to call me just Forma.”
“Ah, my apologies. I seem to be out of my mind.”
“Well, a woman like Kardian doesn’t come around often. I’ll probably keep thinking about it for a while.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were calling me that because you planned to serve me loyally for life.”
“That hasn’t changed.”
“Haha, I see. Your flattery has improved too.”

Lucas asked a question.

“How many high-grade mana stones remain?”
“Quite a lot still. We only recently took them, and the production speed has its limits anyway.”
“Be careful, sir. The high-grade mana stones have markings on them. If anyone sees them, they’ll know we’re the culprits.”
“I’m already aware of that. Besides, we’ve hidden them in the Magic Tower Underground along with the high-grade mana stones we originally possessed, so there’s no way to verify them unless someone rashly breaks in. Most importantly, there’s no evidence, is there? How many Magic Towers in this Empire are after high-grade mana stones?”
“That’s true.”

Forma stared intently at Lucas before asking.

“By the way, Lucas. Have you grown taller? Your face looks more handsome now that the robe isn’t hiding it?”
“Was I that ugly before?”
“No, no. That’s not what I meant. I’m saying you look more impressive now.”
“Haha, I see. Thank you.”

Lucas let out a soft chuckle and extended his hand.

“In any case, I look forward to working with you in the future. Tower Master Forma.”
“I like that title too.”

Forma laughed briefly and grasped Lucas’s hand in return.

“Yes. Keep working for me from now on, won’t you…?”

That’s when Forma felt something odd in Lucas’s grip. It was rough and hard—not the hand of a Mage at all.
No matter how much Lucas’s body had developed, it shouldn’t feel this steel-like.
Seized by an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, I tried to pull my hand away, but it wouldn’t budge.
More precisely, Lucas wouldn’t let go.

“Hey, Lucas. What are you doing?”

Lucas offered no response, merely staring at Forma while tightening his grip with deliberate force.

Crack!

“Ahhhhh! Lucas, what in the—!”

The moment Forma’s brow furrowed in agony as he glared at Lucas.
Lucas drew his blade with his other hand and thrust it directly at Forma.

Clang!

Forma quickly extended his hand, conjuring a defensive barrier across his palm. As flames erupted along the blade, the pressure intensified dramatically.

‘Flames? Could it be a magic sword?’

No, it was an ordinary blade. Lucas, clearly a Mage, had imbued it with elemental properties through his mana!
This meant the man possessed skill enough to look down upon ordinary Knights.

Whoosh!

As Lucas yanked his hand back, Forma was dragged like a puppet and slammed onto the ground.
Then the flaming blade descended once more.

Clang!

Forma hastily deployed his barrier to deflect the strike.
Though his expertise lay in magical artifact crafting, as the Master of the Gearnek Tower, his combat prowess was formidable.

“Ugh!”

Yet the barrier seemed on the verge of shattering.
He needed to create distance, but Lucas’s grip was inescapable.
His hand was already completely crushed.

‘I’ll sacrifice the hand! If this continues, I’m dead!’

Forma concentrated mana into his mangled hand, intending to detonate it along with Lucas’s grip.

Crunch!

But Lucas, noticing this, twisted his sword and severed Forma’s arm.

“Gaaaahhh!”

Searing pain flooded through me, but it allowed me to escape from Lucas’s grip.
Forma quickly unleashed a torrent of flames, and Lucas hastily retreated.
Only then did Forma rise to his feet and fix his gaze upon Lucas.

“You… who exactly are you?”

Lucas was a Mage.
The voice was identical, yet this creature was certainly not Lucas. Above all, this one wielded a sword rather than magic.
The creature slowly opened its mouth.

“A heretic.”

Unlike before, a chilling and sinister voice flowed from the creature.

* * *

I had intended to finish this quickly, but Forma, true to his nature as a Magic Tower Master, responded appropriately.
Given his capability for double casting, he ranked among the stronger Magic Tower Masters specializing in magical artifact creation.

‘Had he barricaded himself in the Magic Tower, this would have taken far too long and become troublesome.’

My current objective was to kill Forma and escape.
Doing so would significantly delay the emergence of demon swords into the world and prevent him from devising plans to seize the highest-grade magic stones.
There was another method to recover the highest-grade magic stones he had previously stolen. In fact, I had heard that the highest-grade magic stones of his faction were also hidden in the same location.

‘This time, it’s our turn to take them. We must repay what was done to us tenfold.’

Forma furrowed his brow.

“So you’ve killed them all.”
“And you’ll follow them next.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t know who you are, but you won’t escape this city.”

Forma withdrew something small from his pocket and pressed a button firmly.

‘They’ve called in Gear.’

Gear—the organization that operates in the shadows for the Gearnek Tower. I know them as a group that would later gain infamy.

‘Of course, dealing with Gear won’t be a problem.’

But if I fight Gear, the guards will inevitably arrive.
I couldn’t let innocent people get hurt.
I’m not a Sword Demon driven mad by rage anymore. Just a deranged Heretic Inquisitor.

‘I need to kill them as quickly as possible.’

I pressed down hard against the ground, then charged forward using Gale Burst.
Forma, startled, deployed a barrier. When my blade of wrath collided with it, a deafening roar erupted.
Noticing my urgency, Forma let out a deliberate laugh.

“The guards will be here soon.”
“You’ll be dead before then.”

I withdrew my blade once, then infused it with holy power in a single breath and brought it down with devastating force.

Kwaaaang!

The barrier shattered under the explosive flames that contained a massive fire demon.
As the recoil sent Forma sliding backward, I charged forward again.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

A stone wall erupted before me, but I simply drove Stone Head through it, shattering it completely.
The upper part of the mask cracked and my forehead bled heavily, but it would regenerate soon enough.
As I charged through the stone fragments like a raging bull, Forma gasped in shock.

“Impossible!”

I brought down the blade I’d been holding back, without any flourish.
Forma reached out with his severed hand. But unfamiliar with the severed limb, his magic power didn’t gather properly.
This was exactly what I’d been waiting for.
Ultimately, my blade reached his throat before his magic could.

“The magic stone’s vengeance.”
“No—!”

A sickening slice.

The flaming blade carved through Forma’s throat. Such was the end of one who coveted what belonged to another.
Before his head even struck the ground, I turned and fled.
My immediate objective was complete. Now I simply needed to escape this city unscathed and execute the next phase of my plan.
The moment I pushed off the earth—

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Countless shards of ice descended upon me from above. I clicked my tongue and retreated.
From the direction the magic had come, ten figures wearing masks identical to mine emerged one by one from the darkness.
I struck first.

“Ah, there you are, my fellow comrades. The one who killed Forma fled through that Dog Hole.”
“….”

I altered my voice and pointed toward the Dog Hole, but they remained silent, their eyes fixed upon me.
They weren’t falling for it.
A quick assessment revealed two Mages and the rest Knights. Among them, two Knights wielded wind-enchanted magic swords.

‘Killing them won’t be difficult. They’re nowhere near Kardian or Lucas’s level.’

More importantly, these were Gear’s subordinates—criminals who’d been committing crimes under Forma all this time.
Even if I ascended here, they would still face karmic retribution.
However, the Guards would arrive soon. I’d confirmed it with ‘Fair Wind’—they’d be here within a minute.

‘There’s no choice.’

I’d have to sweep them all away in one go.
I lowered my stance and gripped my blade with both hands.

A crackling whoosh—

Wind seeps into the flaming blade that dances before me. The two elements swirl together, burning faster and more violently than before.
With Mages present, I won’t be able to kill them all. But I can create an opening to escape.

“…!”

Sensing the ominous shift in momentum, they panicked and raised their defenses.
But they would struggle to block it properly. Most of them were destined to be swept away and perish.
Just as I was about to swing my blade infused with flame wind.

“Splendid.”

A weathered voice seeped into the quiet night sky.
At the same moment, an overwhelming killing intent surged upward like a pillar from the heavens.
My breath catches under the oppressive magical power. The momentum seemed poised to devour the entire city.
Yet Gear remained oblivious. Only I had sensed the presence of that someone in this place.
His killing intent was that quiet, that vast, and that pristine.
For now, it didn’t matter who he was.

‘…If I don’t block it, I die.’

With this blade infused with flame wind, I could parry a single strike. There was no time to think beyond that.
I shifted my sword stance to prepare for the calamity bearing down upon me.

“That technique—even I cannot accomplish it.”

In that instant, a blue light flashed from the darkness behind Gear.
Without the slightest tremor, a perfect blue crescent suddenly unfolded before my eyes.
But I did not draw my blade. It was not directed at me.

Shhweeeeek—!

The crescent passed gently through Gear’s body and embedded itself in the ground.
The sword energy seeped in like moonlight, yet its power was absolute.
They didn’t even comprehend what had happened.

“…What?”

Only bewilderment crossed their faces as their bodies split in half and slowly crumbled.

Splooooosh!

Soon, crimson blood fountained upward, drenching the night sky. The dismembered corpse lay scattered across the ground in disarray.
I fixed my gaze beyond it. Some presence stood within the darkness.

‘Did they help me? Who on earth are they? Was there someone in the current Empire with such martial prowess? Even during my days as the Sword Demon, they would have ranked among the top five?’

The Unknown Swordmaster withdrew their magical power. They bore no hostility toward me.

‘Unless… perhaps….’

There was exactly one person who came to mind. An existence I had wanted to meet since before I came to the Empire.
Now that I thought about it, so much time had passed that I couldn’t recall the details precisely, but their voice seemed familiar as well.
I scrutinized the presence with an inexplicable sense of anticipation.

“Come this way. If you flee through that Dog Hole, you won’t be caught, but someone will see you.”

Moonlight descended, illuminating their face.
A figure of great height and long limbs. Beneath the pulled-down robe, a thick white beard was visible.
Remarkably, I knew them far too well.
A being once proclaimed as Wrath among the Seven Deadly Sins, and the strongest man among all of humanity in this age.
And….
My master in my past life.

“Valter….”

He stood slightly askew, as though ready to depart at any moment, and asked.

“Aren’t you coming?”

I sensed the approach of guards. I let out a hollow laugh and extinguished the flames coiling around my blade.

‘So it was Valter after all….’

Originally, I had planned to seek out Valter myself after concluding this matter.
There was much I needed to discuss with him.

‘Yet to think I would encounter him here of all places….’

Perhaps those destined to meet will always find their way to each other, no matter the circumstances.

“If you won’t come, then go.”
“I’ll go.”

I moved forward with my sword still sheathed at my side.
In the Zarkan Empire, there was no one who could lay a hand on Valter carelessly. Not even the Emperor himself.
Of course, I was an exception—a Heresy Inquisitor of the Theocracy and the Sword Demon in my past life.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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